This briefing shares children and young people’s experiences of so-called ‘sextortion’, a form of online blackmail that involves the threat of sharing nude or semi-nude images or videos to extort money or force someone to do something against their will.
Drawing from contacts to Childline and the NSPCC Helpline in 2023/24, the briefing explores:
- how sextortion occurs and how it can escalate
- the impact on young people’s wellbeing
- how to spot the signs
- how to talk to young people at risk.
It also offers guidance for reporting and disrupting incidents of sextortion, should a child’s image ever fall into the wrong hands.
